Chapter 7

Photosynthesis: Using Light to Make Food

 Photosynthesis is the process by which certain organisms
use light energy

Light
energy
6 CO2 + 6 H2O C6H12O6 + 6 O2

Carbon dioxide Water Glucose Oxygen gas

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

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Photosynthesis occurs in chloroplasts
Leaf Cross Section Mesophyll Cell

Leaf

Mesophyll

LM 2,600 
Chloroplast

Vein
Stoma
CO2 O2

Chloroplast
TEM 9,750 

Outer
membrane
Stroma Inner
membrane

Intermembrane
Stroma space
Grana
Granum Thylakoid Thylakoid
space
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 Structure of the photosynthetic apparatus
 The chloropalst is the site of photosynthesis

 Thylakoids: the extensive system of internal membranes

 Stroma: the region of the chloroplast outside the thylakoids

 Grana lamellae: the stacked membranes of thylakoids

 Stroma lamellae: the exposed membranes of grana

 Lumen: the interior portion of the thylakoid

 Chlorophhyll proteins: the chlorophyll and accessory light-

gathering pigments in the thylakoid membrane

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 General concepts
 The absorption and emission of light by chlorophyll molecules

 Fluorescence: the excited chlorophyll disposes its energy by

emitting heat and fluorescent photon which is lower than that of the
excitation photon
 photosynthesis takes place in complexes containing light-gathering
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antennas and photchemical reaction centers
Chlorophylls absorb violet-blue and red light
and reflect green and yellow light

5
 Photosynthetic pigments
 Chlorophylls: primary pigments

 Antenna pigments (carotenoids)

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 Photosynthesis occurs in two stages
linked by ATP and NADPH

 The light reactions

 The Calvin cycle assembles sugar molecules from CO2
H2O CO2
Chloroplast
Light

NADP+
ADP
+P
CALVIN
LIGHT
CYCLE
REACTIONS
(in stroma)
(in thylakoids)
ATP

NADPH

O Sugar
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 Photosystem
 A Light-harvesting complexes of pigments

 A reaction center with a primary electron acceptor that receives

excited electrons from a reaction-center chlorophyll
Photosystem

Primary electron
Light-harvesting Reaction acceptor
complexes center
Excited state Photon To electron
e–
Energy of electron

transport chain

Heat

Thylakoid membrane
e–
Photon
Photon
(fluorescence)
Ground state

Chlorophyll
molecule Pigment molecules
Transfer of energy
Chlorophyll a molecule
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 Mechanisms of electron and proton transport
Photon Photon

Photosystem II Photosystem I NADP+ + H+ NADPH

Stroma
1 6
Thylakoid membrane

2 e– e–

4
5

P700
P680

Thylakoid 3
space
H2O Electron transport chain ATP
1
O2 + 2 H+ Provides energy for synthesis of
2 by chemiosmosis

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The diffusion of H+ back across the membrane
through ATP synthase
Chloroplast

Stroma (low H+ concentration)

Light Light H+ H+
H+ ADP +P ATP
NADP++ H+ NADPH
H+

Thylakoid
membrane

H2O 1 H+ H+
H+
O +2 H+
H+ H+ H+ H+ H+
2 2
Photosystem II Electron Photosystem I H+ ATP synthase
transport chain H+
Thylakoid space
(high H+ concentration)
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Z diagram of photosynthesis

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 II: The calvin cycle
converting co2 to sugars

 Occurs in the chloroplast’s

stroma

 Consists of carbon fixation,

reduction, release of G3P, and
regeneration of RuBP

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 Photorespiration
 Photosynthetic carbon metabolism reflects the integrated
balance between the Calvin cycle and PCO cycle

 As the temperature increases, the ratio of [CO2] to [O2] decreases

and then PCO cycle increases relative to photosynthesis

Rubisco

Calvin cycle PCO cycle

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 CO2 concentrating mechanism I:
The C4 carbon cycle
 A typical C4 leaf has two distinct
cell types: mesophyll and bundle
sheath cells

 The elevated [CO2] at the site of

carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-
bisphosphate results in
suppression of the oxygenation
of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate

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 CO2 concentrating mechanism II:
Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM)
 The stromata of CAM plants open at night and close during the day
 At night, CO2 is captured by PEP carboxylase in the cytosol and then
is reduced to malate stored in the large vacuole

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Photosynthesis, solar radiation, and earth’s
atmosphere connection
Photosynthesis moderates global warming

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 Excess CO2 in the atmospher

Some heat
energy escapes
into space
Sunlight

ATMOSPHERE

Radiant heat
trapped by CO2
and other gases

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